Azrael
Azrael, known otherwise as The Dark One, Bringer of Dawn, '''and '''Death. One of the three hundred Angels that came with Kraus Eternia from Atmos. Azrael was initially regarded by Kraus as his kindest and most powerful servant. He was a leading figure in the Divine War, as humanity's saviour and eventual antagonist. He was originally heralded as the Angel of Life and Birth, an ironic title considering his eventual role in the Eternia Universe as an escort to the deceased. Many cults are inspired by his legacy, known globally as the Word of Azrael. Appearance In the beginning, Azrael was, like all Angels, regarded as incredibly attractive by human standards. He had long, straight, blonde hair, that flowed to his mid-section, and bright green eyes. His complexion was clear and healthy, leaning towards a pale shade. He was especially tall, standing at 6'5". His wings, even when compared to other Angels, were incredibly large, perhaps a testament to his mastery over Divine Magic. After falling into depravity, his wings eventually lost their pure white hue, slowly decaying to a pure black over the course of several years. His eye color shifted to a deep red and his skin became ill looking. Following his defeat by Kraus, Azrael was stripped of his powers, and as an effect, lost his wings. Only the skeletal structure remained, shrouded by a thick, oversized hood and cloak. Personality As a loyal Angel to Kraus, Azrael had spent a great many centuries witnissing the horrors of Atmos, a war-torn, ravaged land. He came to loathe violence and oppression, as well as the loss that were a result of these traits. He was described by Kraus as incredibly kind, valuing all beings, regardless of their power or intellect. Azrael's incredible attachment and kindess were the key factor in him falling to depravity. After he became a Fallen Angel, he maintained these personality traits to a certain degree, but nonetheless desired to revive humanity as physically eternal beings. He greatly pitied their short lives and was willing to do anything to change the design of Eternia's world, for what he considered to be better. Power Azrael is believed to be second only to Kraus in power, and even then, Kraus had a difficult time defeating him. *Divine Magic - As an Angel, Azrael's soul regenerates itself and can be used as a mana source directly. This allows him to take short-cuts with his magic, and bend the realms of possibility. *Unmatched Intelligence - Azrael was estimated to be over three thousand years old. He was charismatic and a great tactician. *Necromancy - The founder of the art, Azrael was able to revive humans as undead. His mastery over necromancy was at a level as to where the person would be restored perfectly, not as a zombie as seen with human necromancers. They were returned to their peak physical condition and granted eternal life. It's rumored that a handful of these immortals still exist and do their Dark Master's bidding, known as Azrael's Children through hush whispers. History Divine Council In the process of creating Eternia, Kraus lost his body and was deemed dead by the majority of the Angels. While Azrael disagreed with the notion and was right in assuming Kraus had survived somehow, he nonetheless agreed that some form of heirarchy and order needed to be established between the three hundred Angels. The Divine Council was formed and Azrael became a leading member. Humans And War Much to the surprise of the Angels, the humans had taken a similar approach to what was observed in Atmos. Instead of co-operating, the countries waged war in search of personal gain. The Angels were also ignorant of a human's flexibility when it comes to change. Unlike an Angel, a human is able to redeem themselves and leave depravity, whereas an Angel will become fallen for the rest of eternity. Having no desire for a repeat scenario to happen, the Angels ordered all humans to cease violence or risk further involvement from the Divine Council. Continued Warfare The demands of the Angels did little to calm conflict. A vote was decided between the Council members to heavily monitor conflict on a direct scale. Dozens of Angels would be placed in every country. Murdering another human now meant the forfeit of your own. Azrael was heavily against this notion but it passed the required vote, out of great fear for Eternia turning into another Atmos. Humanity Rebels While the laws did indeed result in a sharp decrease in violence, after roughly thirty years, the humans had no desire to live in fear and control. Their desire for freedom was too much for the Angels to monitor. Eventually, they banded together with sympathic Angels, uniting to clash in war against the Angels that were still loyal to the Divine Council. Azrael became the leader of the rebellion, acting as a decisive element of humanity's victory and eventual freedom. The war lasted for over ninety years. Azrael Becomes The Head Angel With the war's end, Azrael took over the Council and became the Head Angel. His rule as the Head Angel didn't last long, however. Azrael's Fall To Depravity Despite his courageous acts to preserve humanity, Azrael feared the new world and its flaws. He was also greatly impacted by the loss of human life - who, unlike the Angels, are not immortal after death and cannot regenerate themselves. This led to Azrael's eventual corruption, and his mastery, and founding, of the dark art of necromancy. Tampering with this kind of magic also heavily impacted his magic and led to him becoming a Fallen Angel. After falling, Azrael was voted out of the order and sentenced to eternal imprisonment. He escaped however, and began his plot to give all humans physical immortality - which involved murdering them all and then reviving them through necromancy. He amassed an army of undead, Fallen Angels loyal to him, and his genetically manipulated Oscuri. He planned to capture the Angels and use their Divine Magic to fuel his World End device, which would result in the extinction of all mortals. Azrael vs. Kraus Azrael was on the verge of victory and came close to ending mortality, but was stopped by Kraus. The Eye of Kraus, which was a physical manifestation of the Archangel's soul after he lost his body during the creation of Eternia, came into the possession of a nameless human boy. Able to channel his consciousness and power through the human host, Kraus bested Azrael in a great battle which was said to have flattened the mountains they fought above. Eternal Banishment After being defeated, since Angels are unable to die, Kraus dealt an alternative punishment: Azrael would spend an eternity escorting the dead he loathed, ensuring that they made their way through the spirit realm. Forced into eternal servitude, Azrael was no longer an active threat to Eternia. Artifacts Category:Deities Category:Religion